smalljaw67

I haven't seen anyone looking for that one but I have seen request from anglers looking for the old Berkley Series One. If you never laid eyes on one check ebay for it, they were made in the 80's and one of the first production rods with a split grip.

I use my equipment pretty hard and I only clean the reels once a year and lube twice a year. Unless you drop your reels in mud or something this schedule keeps your reels in good order and they also last a long time. Anytime you use a low viscosity reel oil like hot sauce or reel butter it is best to use small amounts and relube every 6 months, gears get grease and bearings get oil, you can also use acetone to flush out the bearings once a year too.

A one piece is going to be more sensitive than a two piece but there are some good 2 piece rods available but they do cost a lot. If you're not hampared by space to the point you don't need the 2 piece then get a one piece rod.

There are a lot of different head designs and skirt materials for both smallmouth and largemouth. First you need to decide how deep into it you want to go, for exampple you can buy unpainted jigheads and then paint and put skirts on them, you can also make your own skirts or buy those already made also. I pour, paint and make my own skirts, I have a lot of different molds to use and I make spinnerbaits and bladed jigs in addition to bass jigs. I also tie hair jigs so when you say you want to make jigs you need to be a little more specific. If you want to make your own skirts, and pour the heads you'll need a mold, a melting pot, a small file to smooth the sprue, lead, hooks, paint, skirt material, a skirt tool and some hot mill gloves as well as safety glasses. To make 50 jigs you're looking at around 200 to 300 dollars for start up costs so if you are planning on saving money, this isn't what you want to do. There is a website called, tackle underground, you can go there and learn the basics as well as places to get your materials from, good luck and if you have any questions I'll be more than happy to help you.

Years ago I would say yes, by all means, have the same reels on the same rods but todays rods are all light, most are in that 3.6 to 4.6 ounce range were years ago some rods were 5 ounces while others were closer to 4 ounces and still others were over 5. When the rods were over an ounce different between each other then going from a heavy rod to a light rod could really screw you up as far as casting accuracy and setting the hook. Todays quality rods, those rods in the $100 to $300+ range are all withing an ounce so picking one up after using another isn't as bad as it once was. I have 3 rods of the same brand, actually identical and then 2 of another brand and then 3 of another, so yes, I have multiple rods from a single manufacturer but if I say switch from throwing a spinnerbait on my Quantum Super light to Throwing a crankbait on my Fenwick Smallmouth rod, I really don't feel any weight difference to cause my casting to be off, in fact both of those rods have a Smoke 150 reel, one is a burner and the other is a cranking gear ratio and the rods are very cloes in weight. If it was 10 years ago, KVD is spot on, the differences in rod from one to another were vast but with such an emphasis on every piece of equipment being light weight, as long as the rods are all with in the same price range and within 3 years of each other then it isn't too important. JMO.

The Handle of an Exacto Knife is excellent for crankbaits, and for jigs and spinnerbaits I use powder paint so I usually just hold them by the hook with a pair of hemostats and dip in the powder.

I know I'll be in the minority here but I think the best bang for the buck would be the Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth spinning rod, the one that matches up nicely would be the 6'9" medium light fast action rated for line 4# to 10# with a lure rating of 1/16oz to 5/8oz. The rod lists for $129.99 but you may find them slightly less expensive but it really doesn't matter as that rod is more than worth the retail all day long. You could fish shaky heads, drop shots, tubs and small jigs as well as worm fish. I have the 6'9" medium power, extra fast action spinning rod and loved it so much I got the 6'10" MH/MF casting rod too! Take a loke, well within your price range and something you'll be very happy fishing with, it is the most sensitive rod I every used in its price range and the reel seat was the most comfortable I ever put my hands on.

Hey everyone, I really like your forum and I'm happy to be here. I love bass fishing but really love fishing the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers for smallmouth, those river smallies are vicious fish and fun to catch. I'm looking forward to contributing and learning with all the other members here.